I’m so excited to share this recipe! Matt and I have been to San Diego together twice now and both times we went to different Ballast Point breweries. Matt is a big fan of their beers and, as we discovered on our first visit, they also serve awesome food. The first time we ordered their duck confit nachos: fresh tortilla chips piled high with crispy duck, a creamy blue cheese sauce, pickled red onions and a tangy sour ale blackberry sauce.

The combination had us dreaming about this appetizer until we were back in San Diego two years later and could order it again. I decided this summer I needed to at least attempt to re-create this dish so we wouldn’t have to wait until our next San Diego trip to eat it again.

I loved how my Elote Wonton Bites turned out so instead of a full plate of nachos we have Duck Carnitas Nacho Bites with Blue Cheese and Blackberry Ale Sauce. These little wonton cups have a lot of components, but a bite of everything all together is pure magic. It helps that you can make the duck carnitas, wonton cups, blackberry ale sauce and pickled red onions ahead of time.

I was most concerned about making the duck because I have never cooked or even bought duck before except at a restaurant. The larger Whole Foods near me stocks duck legs so I placed those in my dutch oven along with orange juice, orange wedges and some seasonings. The duck legs came out so crispy and juicy! Considering how simple it was to just put everything in the pot and let it cook I will definitely be cooking duck again for Matt and I! Who knew it was so easy to get such restaurant-worthy results?

Since we want the tender duck to be crispy for these nacho bites, I turned them into duck carnitas by shredding the duck meat and searing it on the stove-top for twenty minutes. Delicious! I love that we can eat this dish now whenever we feel that craving hit to hold us over until we can get back to San Diego again!

Duck Carnitas Nacho Bites with Blue Cheese and Blackberry Ale Sauce

 

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Yield: 24 wonton bites

Ingredients

for the duck carnitas

• 1 pound fresh duck legs, about 2 legs
• 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of cinnamon

for the pickled red onions

• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced

for the blue cheese sauce

• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles

for the blackberry reduction

• 4 ounces fresh blackberries
• ⅓ cup sour ale
• 1 tablespoon sugar

for the wonton cups

• 24 wonton wrappers
• ⅔ cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions

for the duck carnitas

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the duck legs, skin side up, in a Dutch oven or other heavy oven safe pot with a lid. Add juice of the whole orange and the seasonings to the pot. Stir to combine then cut up the spent orange into wedges and toss in as well. Put on the lid and cook 1½ hours. Remove from the oven. Once it’s cool enough to handle, shred the meat and skin, discarding the bones, any excess fat and orange wedges. I also discarded some of the skin. Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook until the shredded duck is crispy, about 20 minutes, stirring often and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot.

for the pickled red onions

1. Combine the water, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then remove from the heat.
2. Place the sliced red onions in a bowl then pour the vinegar mixture over top. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour

for the blue cheese sauce

1. Gently heat the cream in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Once the cream starts to bubble, add the blue cheese crumbles. Stir and whisk while the blue cheese melts until the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat.

for the blackberry reduction

1. Heat the blackberries, ⅓ cup of the beer and the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Let cook for 10 minutes while the blackberries reduce. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once cool, either use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the seeds or puree in a high speed blender.

for the wonton cups

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a mini muffin pan then place the wrappers into the cavities so they create little wonton bowls. Lightly spray the wonton wrappers in the pan then bake for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
3. After the wontons have baked on their own, spoon the duck into the wontons in the mini muffin pan, evenly dividing between them. Top with the blue cheese crumbles. Bake for 6-8 more minutes. Top with the pickled red onions, a drizzle of blue cheese sauce and a generous drizzle of blackberry reduction then serve hot.

Notes

Duck can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days. No need to reheat the duck before baking in the wonton cups.
Pickled red onions can be made and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks. Drain the onions before using.
Blackberry reduction can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Reheat gently on the stove-top or in the microwave at half power.

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Lauren Appetizers & Snacks, Recipes 2 Comments

Tomatillo Guacamole is about to become your latest summer obsession. This is a recipe I pulled from my Food Network Magazine binder archives and next to the recipe they wrote, “I always make a double batch because we go through this so quickly!” They are not kidding around, this Tomatillo Guacamole is addictive.

Right after I made it I could barely stop shoving it in my face long enough to get the photos. I also completely admit to rushing this photo set just so I could get back to the shoving-my-face action.

I determined that I am in love with the flavor of tomatillos because I couldn’t get enough of this dip in the same way I pine for a roasted tomatillo salsa I made for Matt’s birthday a couple years ago. Tomatillos may look like little green tomatoes wrapped in husks, but they are fruity, tart and loaded with fragrant flavor.

Like most guacamole recipes there is no cooking involved so you can have this in a bowl with chips on standby in under ten minutes. Tomatillos, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, ground cumin and salt get pulsed together in a blender or food processor. If you are like me and not a fan of spice then remove the seeds and pith from the jalapeño. By removing the seeds and pith you get all the flavor with the heat. If you like spicy food just chuck it all in.

Even though the recipe is called a guacamole, to me the texture and taste is a cross between a guacamole and a salsa. If you prefer it thicker and chunkier like a guacamole then mash in another avocado at the end. You could always make it as is with an additional avocado or two at your disposal in case you decide you want that thicker guacamole consistency. I personally love the salsa-guacamole crossover because it is just the right balance of flavors while still being thick enough to scoop onto your tortilla chip of choice. Enjoy, friends!

Tomatillo Guacamole

 

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup fresh cilantro
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
• ½ onion, coarsely chopped
• ½ jalapeño pepper, see note
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Serve in a bowl with chips and veggies.

Notes

If you don’t want it spicy, remove the seeds and pith. If you want it spicy, leave the seeds.

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Lauren Appetizers & Snacks, Recipes 0 Comments

I know, another appetizer bite! I told you I’m all about them so here we are with another one that’s just right for both caprese and strawberry season. There’s nothing like a classic caprese salad with ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, a drizzle of olive oil and some salt.

Sometimes, though, I like switching it up and one of my favorite ways is by adding fruit. The sweetness of fruit pairs so well with the saltiness of the cheese and the acidity of the tomatoes. Last summer I posted my Melon Prosciutto Mozzarella Skewers and the Watermelon Caprese Salad. These bites are simple recipes like those except we have mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and strawberries.

This was my first time having strawberries as part of a caprese salad. Unlike the cantaloupe and the watermelon, which I’ve had before at restaurants, I’ve never ordered a caprese salad with strawberries, although I’m sure there’s some places out there with it on their menus. I wasn’t sure how the flavors would all work together, but I was hooked after one bite. In fact, Matt and I downed this whole platter in about ten minutes immediately after I took these photos.

The sweetness of the ripe strawberries was exactly what I wanted with the mozzarella and tomato. What really ties it all together is the fresh and bright basil vinaigrette. I love basil in dishes, but sometimes I find myself wishing I could have the flavor of basil without all the big hunks of basil leaves. This easy vinaigrette can be whipped together in your blender or food processor and is concentrated with so much delicious basil flavor.

You will have leftover vinaigrette, unless you make more Strawberry Caprese Skewers, which is perfect for drizzling over chicken or topping salads. Or you could be like Matt and just dip some toasty bread in it – yum! Enjoy!

Strawberry Caprese Bites with Basil Vinaigrette

 

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Yield: 24 bites

Ingredients

• 12 strawberries, hulled and halved
• 24 bocconcini mozzarella balls
• 24 grape or small cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• ½ small shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 24 toothpicks

Directions

1. Make the caprese bites by first skewering a strawberry halve, a mozzarella ball then a tomato with a toothpick. Repeat for the remaining caprese bites.
2. In a high-speed blender, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil leaves, shallot, garlic and salt. Blend until smooth. Drizzle over the caprese bites.

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Lauren Appetizers & Snacks, Recipes 2 Comments